so far my season has flippen sucked! last week i had guys set up on top of me on the river after i was already set up..then also i do my research manage to get a few fields to hunt BUT!! even then, like this morning, i had guys set up in a different field right next to mine only about 100-150 yards away. so far this year ive had nothing but problems with unethical hunters and are complete D-bags that dont give a crap what you say to them about their "wrong". they've all taken away/ruined what i enjoy. i hunt to get away from work and daily life. I really hope my season turns around real quick before its too late.

duckcomanderJR. wrote:so far my season has flippen sucked! last week i had guys set up on top of me on the river after i was already set up..then also i do my research manage to get a few fields to hunt BUT!! even then, like this morning, i had guys set up in a different field right next to mine only about 100-150 yards away. so far this year ive had nothing but problems with unethical hunters and are complete D-bags that dont give a crap what you say to them about their "wrong". they've all taken away/ruined what i enjoy. i hunt to get away from work and daily life. I really hope my season turns around real quick before its too late.

Certainly there is an unlimited supply of douche bags in the world, and we've all had guys set up too close when there are other options for them a bit further away; and then they over-call and sound like shat to boot. But when it comes to field hunting, depending size and proximity of properties, it could be those guys weren't tickled to have you in the next field over either.

I get and appreciate your rant, but sometimes there's another valid side to the story. Have a toddy. I know it's aggravating but life is too short. Laugh it off as best you can.

BTW: since I live in Meridian too, did you see more, less, new birds today? I'm debating whether I want to brave a cold boat ride in the morning. I noticed several flocks of geese flying low, semi-silently, over my neighborhood while I was clearing snow, which I took as encouragement until I got some bad reports back from friends who were out and said there weren't all that many birds flying.

I hear you, just last Saturday I ranted on this forum about my hunt that day with similar problems as you had faced (2 kids walking around skybusting). And again this morning...I set up on the bank (Snake) in a tight spot but good location and out of the wind and 400+ yards from the next group, then an hour later I had a boat with 2 adults and a kid (teenager presumably) go past and loop around the island across from me and the kid spent the next 2 hours walking up and down the island shooting at anything within 100 yards of him (about 150 yards from me), including any diver duck flying up and down the middle of the river regardless of height. What is interesting is that coming and going the kid and 1 adult in the boat while cruising both had their guns up and at the ready, doubtlessly to try and take a shot if the opportunity arose while in transit. FATHERS...if you're going to take your kid hunting and give him a gun you'd best teach him how to hunt correctly and what is in range and what is not - and the gun should be unloaded and stowed when the boat is under power. This is indeed getting ridiculous...

Do you know why Cajuns don't hunt elephants? Because the decoys won't fit in their pirogues!

duckcomanderJR. wrote:so far my season has flippen sucked! last week i had guys set up on top of me on the river after i was already set up..then also i do my research manage to get a few fields to hunt BUT!! even then, like this morning, i had guys set up in a different field right next to mine only about 100-150 yards away. so far this year ive had nothing but problems with unethical hunters and are complete D-bags that dont give a crap what you say to them about their "wrong". they've all taken away/ruined what i enjoy. i hunt to get away from work and daily life. I really hope my season turns around real quick before its too late.

Certainly there is an unlimited supply of douche bags in the world, and we've all had guys set up too close when there are other options for them a bit further away; and then they over-call and sound like shat to boot. But when it comes to field hunting, depending size and proximity of properties, it could be those guys weren't tickled to have you in the next field over either.

I get and appreciate your rant, but sometimes there's another valid side to the story. Have a toddy. I know it's aggravating but life is too short. Laugh it off as best you can.

BTW: since I live in Meridian too, did you see more, less, new birds today? I'm debating whether I want to brave a cold boat ride in the morning. I noticed several flocks of geese flying low, semi-silently, over my neighborhood while I was clearing snow, which I took as encouragement until I got some bad reports back from friends who were out and said there weren't all that many birds flying.

well it would be their own fault for not liking me in the field next to them. they showed up 5min after shooting light i had already been set up so it was their choice to set up there.. but for birds I didn't see as many ducks...but defiantly saw and increase in geese this morning.

Slidellduckhunter: it basically reminds me of fishing a lot of people must think "oh if they're set up there that must be were all the ducks are at we need to set up there." those are the ones who don't go out scouting or do their research.

It seems that there is always going to be a fair number of "tools" in any hunting and/or fishing environment. It can be incredibly frustrating! I am sure that in somebody else's opinion I have pulled a bone head maneuver and I will full heartedly admit that I am far from having all of the answers. BUT a little common sense goes a long way. 90% or more of the time it will be the right answer! IMO, some (most) of the situations that have been voiced are examples that some/most of the offenders do have, at least some, common sense or they would probably not have gotten as far as they did, meaning gotten all the way to the river, launched a boat, gotten it started and not hit any obstructions. So, this means that either they just don't give a ***t and/or they have never taken the time to figure out or had anybody show them the right way of doing things. I used to think it was mostly just lack of guidance BUT I am starting to think it is more people just not giving a ***t and that none of the rules or courtesies apply to them!

Far be it for me to criticize a person for their decoy set up, equipment, boat, truck, gun, dog or anything else as long as they have their set up a proper distance from me or anybody else. I am probably ultra sensitive to this because I know how I feel when they just pile in on top of you! On occasion , I have been late and I will go to extremes to make sure I don't screw up the deal for those that got to the party on time. Sometimes, people just don't see you depending on the location and how you are set up and that is fine as long as when you make your presence known they move on. As far as skybusting is concerned I am just getting to the point where I am out of answers! It just makes me shake my head. Have I, or any of us, taken a long shot that is on the outer limits of what the gun, shell and choke are capable of. The answer is probably. But, I think that is the exception rather than the rule! The only answer I can come up with is again related to being lazy and not knowing what they are capable of and what their equipment can do! Perhaps I am making excuses for perpetual dumb***es. I think I will take advice from one of the previous posters; Mix a toddy, stoke the fire and try to decide if I/we are or should venture out tomorrow! Good luck to all and be safe in these cold temps!

duckcomanderJR. wrote:Slidellduckhunter: it basically reminds me of fishing a lot of people must think "oh if they're set up there that must be were all the ducks are at we need to set up there." those are the ones who don't go out scouting or do their research.

Yep, totally agree. However I am sure they would not have thought my spot was so tasty...I was trying to take advantage of some bank hunting where you always see a couple of pairs floating around. I was doing what hn&fs had described, I launched after the others so I went where no one else was and usually does not go and that would allow for some decent separation (in my opinion a minimum of 300 yards). I have a small rig (10' Mirrorcraft w/ 5 hp outboard and yes, it is very slow) which is painted camo so I can go to these bank sites and park the boat downstream in a bank indentation and not worry the ducks. The 2 adults of this group I am sure went to a blind on this island but for some reason the dad let the kid wonder around who promptly introduced some unneeded chaos. The blind was maybe 250 yards away and I can live with that - but all that wasted shooting and the unnecessary noise and stress on the ducks just 150 yards from me - terrible. If the kid stayed with the adults I'm sure it would not have been a problem for me (the adults only shot once or twice), thank goodness they only stayed 2 hours. I got my first duck 30 minutes after they left...if only they never went out....

Do you know why Cajuns don't hunt elephants? Because the decoys won't fit in their pirogues!